While many of our investments have been in reducing chronic long term homelessness, investing in upstream interventions is also critical. A recent article in The Oregonian highlighted not only homelessness for families but for unhoused youths aged 18-24 as well. That’s why projects like College Housing Northwest’s Ponderosa Inn in Gresham are crucial to not just house students and their families but to meet their basic needs as they further their education.
As a member of the Joint Office Shelter Strategy Oversight Committee, I am engaged with my colleagues from the City of Portland and Multnomah County toward the common goal of developing a shared community-wide approach to address the needs of unsheltered individuals in our communities. We need to examine our system to define gaps in service, efficiencies, and determine the best resources for unique populations within the houseless community. And as the resources from our regional Supportive Housing Services measure are combined with state-wide policy changes in housing production, bringing a holistic approach to the continuum of housing stability is critical.
I have been on a mission to visit local service providers and sites as well as learn best practices from national examples of how we can keep moving forward with creative and innovative solutions. In my remaining year on the board, I will continue to seek out promising practices that can blend our housing needs with the stability of services, employment, and family-centered community investments.
A few of the locations and providers I have visited recently include:
Cascadia Clusters
Bybee Lakes Hope Center
New Narratives
Cultivate Initiatives
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